Person:William Taber (11)

From My Escape from Slavery by Frederic Douglas.

 Mr. Ruggles was the first officer on the "Underground Railroad" whom I met after coming North, and was, indeed, the only one with whom I had anything to do till I became such an officer myself. Learning that my trade was that of a calker, he promptly decided that the best place for me was in New Bedford, Mass. He told me that many ships for whaling voyages were fitted out there, and that I might there find work at my trade and make a good living. So, on the day of the marriage ceremony, we took our little luggage to the steamer John W. Richmond, which, at that time, was one of the line running between New York and Newport, R. I. Forty-three years ago colored travelers were not permitted in the cabin, nor allowed abaft the paddle-wheels of a steam vessel. They were compelled, whatever the weather might be, -- whether cold or hot, wet or dry, -- to spend the night on deck. Unjust as this regulation was, it did not trouble us much; we had fared much harder before. We arrived at Newport the next morning, and soon after an old fashioned stage-coach, with "New Bedford" in large yellow letters on its sides, came down to the wharf. I had not money enough to pay our fare, and stood hesitating what to do. Fortunately for us, there were two Quaker gentlemen who were about to take passage on the stage, -- Friends William C. Taber and Joseph Ricketson, -- who at once discerned our true situation, and, in a peculiarly quiet way, addressing me, Mr. Taber said: "Thee get in." I never obeyed an order with more alacrity, and we were soon on our way to our new home. When we reached "Stone Bridge" the passengers alighted for breakfast, and paid their fares to the driver. We took no breakfast, and, when asked for our fares, I told the driver I would make it right with him when we reached New Bedford. I expected some objection to this on his part, but he made none. When, however, we reached New Bedford, he took our baggage, including three music-books, -- two of them collections by Dyer, and one by Shaw, -- and held them until I was able to redeem them by paying to him the amount due for our rides. This was soon done, for Mr. Nathan Johnson not only received me kindly and hospitably, but, on being informed about our baggage, at once loaned me the two dollars with which to square accounts with the stage-driver. Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Johnson reached a good old age, and now rest from their labors. I am under many grateful obligations to them. They not only "took me in when a stranger" and "fed me when hungry," but taught me how to make an honest living. Thus, in a fortnight after my flight from Maryland, I was safe in New Bedford, a citizen of the grand old commonwealth of Massachusetts.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Randall, George Leander. Taber genealogy : descendants of Thomas, son of Philip Taber. (New Bedford, Mass.: Viking Press, 1982).
2. ↑ United States Census, 1880, Wm C Taber, Record Type: United States Census, Household: William Congdon Taber ,. (Ancestry.com, 1880).
3. ↑ New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States. Vital records of New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the year 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1932)
   468.

   TABER, William Congdon, {born} Feb. 24, 1797.† [h. Hannah Tucker (Shearman), h. Rhoda (Rowland) Jr., s. Barnabas and Mary, C.R.3.]